YYA Glossary | Meta-Institutions

Abstract

Meta-Institutions, as defined by Yuen Yuen Ang (2016), are higher-order structures and strategies that enable adaptation, learning, and the discovery of solutions under uncertainty. In Ang’s definition and analysis, the focus of meta-institutions is not control, but influencing adaptive problem-solving when the right solutions are not known in advance. 

Whereas institutions are fixed solutions to particular problems, meta-institutions shape the processes by which rules form and evolve. 

Examples of Meta-Institutions in Ang’s Work 

- Directed Improvisation: a governance model combining top-down direction with bottom-up experimentation (with demonstration in reform-era Chinese development and US’ innovation policies) 

- Adaptive Policy Communication: using mixtures of ambiguous and clear signals to calibrate discretion and discipline 

(Note: Meta-institutions should not be confused with “meta-organizations,” which means large organizations comprised of smaller organizations.) 

Keywords: Adaptive Political Economy, Influence vs. Control, Directed Improvisation, Coevolutionary Development, Variation, Selection, Niche Creation, Adaptive Policy Communication, Meta-cognition, Development as Learning, Adaptive Efficiency

JEL Classification: D02, P16, B52